🚀 go-pugleaf

Michael T. Richter (mtr@globalx.net) wrote:
: >: Regarding the use of higher level encryption, the paper supports the concept of
: >: commercial key escrow where organisations hold their own keys but may be
: >: required to provide them in response to a court order.  the same would apply to
: >: individuals who could either hold there own keys or store them with a
: >: commercial body.  Access to those keys would be by court order and in that
: >: respect is no different to existing procedures for the interception or seizure
: >: of telephone conversations or paper records.  There is no suggestion that these
: >: basic principles, and protection of individual's rights in general, should be
: >: changed

: >Oh, and where do you suppose the keys to his house are escrowed today?
: >Or the keys to his car?  Or the combination to his gym locker?  Or to
: >his bank's vault?

: Are Americans not taught to read, or are you the exception?

: By "higher level encryption", he presumably refers to high security encryption.  
: Of the physical analogues you cite, only one of them, the bank vault, can be 
: considered the equivalent.  Since later in his letter (in the part you 
: conveniently didn't quote) he refers to individuals with "low level encryption" 
: not requiring key escrow, it looks an awful lot like he is being internally 
: consistent.

: The keys to his house and car (not to mention his locker combo) are not "escrowed" 
: because they are devices of relatively low security.  A swift kick from a 
: jack-booted thug will open most houses just fine.  If that fails, a fire axe to 
: the windows does wonders as well.  If worst comes to worst, the L.A. police's 
: battering ram vehicle is great too.  The "Jaws of Life" are perfect for entering 
: locked cars.  So are cutting wheels (even for armoured cars).  Locker doors can be 
: casually ripped off by a good crowbar or its rough equivalent.

: The government does not escrow these items because it has the tools available to 
: trivially circumvent them.

: The bank vault is "escrowed" (in the broader sense given in Orlowski's letter).  
: The government can order the bank to open a vault and apply very stiff penalties 
: if the bank refuses to comply.

: Mr. Orlowski's attitudes are bad enough when you read what he says.  There's no 
: reason to put words into his mouth and attack points he didn't make!


Yes, we are taught to read.  And to be polite, also.

When the government orders the bank to open a vault, or breaks down a
door, the owner of the bank will know about it.  When the crypto thugs
read your mail, there is no way for you to tell they've done it.

Your opening gratuitous insult managed to take an otherwise reasonable
discussion which makes some points I disagree with and turn it into a
pissing contest.  Please forgive me if I decline to participate at
that level.

Ken

--
Kenneth Lerman                     Kenneth.Lerman@lerman.nai.net
Systems Essentials Limited                         (203)426-4430
55 Main Street
Newtown, CT 06470